1967 32 hardtop.
I have a crack in the prop shaft strut bearing housing. I would like to weld repair the crack. What metal and alloy is used in OEM struts.
By removing the bearing, following some simple welding principles the repair could be easily done in place... Right???

One method I used:

Remove Prop
Unbolt Strut
Slide strut off shaft
Press Cutless bearing out
Repair strut or replace
Install new bearing
Install strut and prop and away ya go.

Thanks for the tips. I see your speaking from experience. But what type of metal is it made from? I will need to weld it with the proper weld filler material.

I just replaced a strut (I think I wrote it up for the forum) and my advice would be to remove the strut, which is not that hard, and take it to a shop where it can be welded and annealed properly. It is very hard to get a decent weld when you have to work upside down or sideways, and a lot cheaper anyway if it is done in the shop.

Removing the strut requires taking out 8 bolts, four in each pad, and working it down the shaft. Prop has to come off (duh) and the rudder linkage must be disconnected. Someone has to hold the nuts from inside while someone else removes the bolts. I used 316 machine screws and 316 nylon locknuts, with washers, in place of the original hardware.

The new strut that I put on is a welded assembly composed of two mounting pads, the strut arms, and a cylinder to take the bearing. It ran about $700 from John A. It should be no big deal to have it welded.